Bumble Ward closes up shop

LOS ANGELES: Celebrity publicist Bumble Ward has announced she is shuttering her epynonomous agency after the upcoming Academy Awards.

Since founding the agency in 1994, Ward has built a high-profile client list heavy on directors. Clients include Sofia Coppola, Marc Forster, Quentin Tarantino, Tim Burton, and Paul Thomas Anderson. The company has also served corporate clients, including FremantleMedia, the company behind American Idol. Ward has also worked on films such as Kill Bill and Spellbound.

Ward told Variety that she plans on pursuing a fiction-writing career, but may consult for some clients. A number of those clients have upcoming projects, such as Coppola's Marie Antoinette and Forster's Stay.

At least one Ward client said he was told to find new representation by March, and at least one corporate client, FremantleMedia, has already found new representation, Bender Helper Impact.